| ||
| ||
|
||
|
|
|
Creativity: Getting Out of the Box
Leadership, especially in times of change, depends increasingly on the ability of managers, professionals and even front line workers to think and do things differently. In other words, to get out of the box! So, how do we get out of the box especially when most people are comfortable staying with the tried and true rather than exploring and championing new ideas? Here are tips to jolt your mind and start thinking more creatively. Stretch your brain. Example: Challenge your group to redesign panty hose for male consumers. Yes, you read it correctly. Distribute samples of conventional panty hose and ask such question as, "Who is our target market....How should the new product be packaged? What shall we call it?" Transform your perspective. Example: Bank executives were asked to think of outrageous ways to make their customers very angry. One suggested closing down credit lines without informing customers---causing checks to bounce without any warning. (How would you like that to happen to you?) What they realized is that one of the bank's greatest assets is the perception of total reliability by the customer. They then focused on ways to ensure that reliability. Dump your garbage. Example: Encourage workers to symbolically dispose of such obstacles by distributing index cards and asking them to write down all their complaints. The cards are torn up and are placed into a large garbage bag which is then thrown out. After this exercise, the workers may find it easier to forget about their old agendas and move forward. I have also seen this done even more dramatically. The torn pieces are put into a large ash tray or wastebasket and lit with a match. Everyone watches as all the complaints go up in smoke and are burned completely. Ask the right questions. Example: A consumer products company was testing an idea for a household cleaner specially formulated for washing walls. Focus groups of consumers were asked to compare the new product's cleaning ability to that of general purpose cleaners. All participants agreed that the new product cleaned better. Armed with this information, the company put the new product into production, advertised extensively and waited for the orders to come pouring in. They waited and waited and waited. The product failed. While the company was asking consumers how well the product cleaned, they did not ask the most important question: How often do you wash your walls? By the time they learned that most people do not spend time washing walls, they had spent millions of dollars. Lesson: Before making important decisions, spend time thinking about the questions that you need to ask. Good questions lead to good decisions. Marcia Zidle, the 'people smarts' coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management. Subscribe by going to http://leadershiphooks.com/ and get the bonus report "61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers". Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.
MORE RESOURCES:
Creativity - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Becoming More Creative -- What We Can Learn From Disney When you think about the legacies Walt Disney left us, do talking mice and a multigizillion dollar company come to mind? Actually, those are only the products of his prodigious and rich creativity - dig deeper and you start to realize one of the most intriguing heritages Disney left was his processes.Disney was a creative and problem-solving genius. Creative Dreams - What Winter Driving Taught Me We had a winter storm the other day here in Toronto. And as I was driving, I started thinking about what my winter driving had in common with my creative dreams. Tapping into Your Super Creative Power Do you consider yourself creative? How about super creative? Most people may not think of themselves as creative, but I believe that everyone has the potential for great creativity. They just need a little understanding and practice. 9 Ways to Live Creatively Creativity - according to Webster's it means having the ability or power to create; characterized by originality and expressiveness; imaginative. Ok that sounds great, wouldn't we all like to be more creative every day? Sometimes the hardest part to trying something new is the first step. Stress VS Creativity Now when I use the term "creativity", I mean the kind of states of mind and body where thoughts and ideas flow freely; where there is a STREAM of data information that comes clearly from a very different place than one might normally inhabit and which translates smoothly and perfectly into colours, visions, sounds, patterns, movements, actions and resolutions.These are very beautiful states, very precious; this flow of "creativity" is nourishing, enlivening and one can do so many things for a long time without feeling in the slightest bit tired; when it is done, one is happy, very much at peace and delighted, too. Why Teach Thinking? Why Not ? The word 'creativity' has so many diverse meanings and interpretations. I remember telling an audience of teachers that creating a mess is also creative as long as new things and views are being conjured up. Business Innovation - Personal Creativity Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. SoulCollage - Combining Collage Fun with Spiritual Practice SoulCollage? is a unique blend of spiritual practice and the fun of collage. Using our intuition and imagination, we create a deck of collaged cards where each card reflects a different aspect of who we are. Sleep and Creativity In my life, sleep is the number one way that I can either enhance my self-care and nourish myself or defeat my self-care and deplete my energy, peace of mind & productivity all in one shot.When I'm rested I'm more resilient to stress. Codifying Creativity Can we codify creativity? Within these few words are a number of principles that must be identified and resolved before we can really answer the question.The first question is, what is creativity? What are we trying to codify?One useful definition of creativity is that it is problem identification and idea generation. How You Can Improve Your Creativity - What You Need to Know Would you like to enhance your creativity? Do you think that increased creativity is something that would improve your life?Before you answer yes or no to that question, take some time to explore what the word "creativity" means to you.If you think that creativity is something that you only need if you're an artist, while you happen to be a middle-manager in a corporation, you may decide that increased creativity is not really important to you. Creative Thinking The Secret Key To Lasting Success What is creativity anyway? Well, let us look at the word. Creativity means the capability to build, create something. Creativity And You 95 percent of what we know about the brain, we have learned in the last 20 years. So, your beliefs about creativity were probably shaped by faulty information. Theres A Light At The End Of Your Tunnel, Called Imagination! Imagine this. You've got this huge dream you just turned into an exciting accomplishment. 9 Steps to Supercharge Your Productivity with Creativity Time is the great equalizer. Everybody has the exact same number of hours in each day. Art, Artists and Money Practical money tips for people in the arts.1. Top Ten Brainstorming Techniques for Business Success We experience creativity every time a fresh idea pops into our minds. We recognize creative imagination in everything from a pastel painting to a business plan. The Healing Powers of Journaling For the past several years, I have found joy working as a motivational writer and speaker. One of my greatest passions has been the gift of sharing my deep love and respect for the written word. Creativity Isnt Just About Art It Is About Healing Go on, pick up a pen, hold it in your hand and ask, " What can you do for me?" What do you hear? If you listen with your heart you may hear " I can show you a world within that only you and I can explore! Let's start writing and see what we can find."As you travel deeper within you will start to find a world of emotion and thoughts that you never imagined you had, whether you are delving into those dark corners of pain or dancing into the lightness of your being. Who Wants To Be A Creative Genius? Can You Learn Creativity?Have you ever watched Robin Williams do a stand-up routine? Could so much creativity and spontaneity result from a highly organized approach? Definitely. Wild and funny thoughts don't come from nowhere.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
